The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-07-20
An Example of Lincoln's Eio-
ouence.

Quence-
The csafuru life Of lincoln reaches the
famous -Douglas debates in the
July number. We quote the following
eloquent psss sasse from Lincoln's Lewis
town speech of August 18th, 1855 This
speech was made during the same can
vass for the Senate, but it was not one Of
the debate speeches; The Declaration
of Independence was formed by the rep
resentatives of American liberty from
thirteen States of the Confederacy, twelve
ofwhich were slaue-holding communities.
We need not discuss the way or the rea-
son of their becoming slave-holding COM
munities. II is sufficient for our purpose
that all of them greatly deplored the evil
and that they placed provision IN the
Constitution which they supposed would
gradually remove the disease by cutting
off its source. This was the abolition Of
the slave trade So general was the con-
viction. the public determination, TO
abolish the African slave trade. that the
provision which have referred to a. be-
inc placed in the Constitution declared
that il should not be abolished prior TO
the year 1895. A constitutional provis-
ion was necessary 10 prevent the people,
through Congress. from putting stop to
the traffic Immediately at the close Of the
war. Now if slavery had been good
thing, would the Fathers Of the Republic
have taken a step calculated to diminish
lis benefceut influences among them
selves. and snatch the boon wholly from
their posterity? These communities by
their representatives in oil Independence
Hall. said 10 the whole world Of men;
We hold these truths - be -elf-evident:
that all men are created equal that they
are endowed by their Creator with GER
tain inalienable rights; that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of aappi-
ness This was their majestic inierpreta-
ton of the economy Of the Universe.
This was their lofty, and wise, and noble
understanding of the justice Of the Gre
ator to his creatures. Yes. gentlemen.
10 ali his creatures. 20 the whole great
family of man In their enlightened be-
lief. nothing stamped with the divine i'm
age and likeness was sent into the world
to'be trcdden on and degraded, and I'M
bruted by its fellows. They grasped not
only the whole race of man then living,
but thev reached forward and seized up
on the farthest posterity. They erected
beacon to guide their children, and their
children's children, and the countless
mvriads who should inhabit the earth in
other ages. Wise statesmen as they were
they knew the tendency of prosperity 10
breed tyrants, and 80 they established
these great self-evident truths, that when
in the distant future some man, some
faction. some interest should set up the
doctrine that none but rich men, or none
but white men, or none but Anglo-Saxon
white men, were entitled to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness, their pos
terity might look up again to the Decia-
ration of Independence and take courage
TO renew the battle which their fathers
began. SO that truth and justice and mer-
cy and all the humane and Christian viz
tues might not be extinguished from the
land so that no man would hereafter
| dare to limit and circumscribe the great
principles on which the temple of liberty
was being built.
Now. my countrymen, if you have
been taught doctrines conflicting with the
! great landmarks of the Declaration of In
dependence if you have listened to sug-
eestions which would take away from its
grandeur and mutilate the fair symmetry
of its proportions; if you have been in.
cIined to believe that all men are not
created equal in those inalienable rights
| enumerated by our chart for liberty, LEI
| me entreat YOU to co ne back Return to
| the fountain whose waters spring close by
the blood of the Revolution Think
| nothing of me-take no thought for the
political fate Of any man, whomseever-
but come back to the truths that are IN
the Declaration of Independence. You
may do anything with me you choose, i
YOU will but heed these sacred principles
You NAV not only defeat me for the Sen
ate, but you may take me and put me u
death. While pretending no indifference
to earthly honors, do claim to be actu
ated in this contest by something highei
than an anxiety for office charge yot
TO drop every paltry and insignificant
thought for any mans success. 1t L
nothing; am nothing Judge Douglas i
nothing. But do not destroy that imor
tai emblem of Humanity-the Declara
ton of American Independence.